About Secure Messages

Cisco Secure Email Encryption Service (CRES) enables organizations and individuals to communicate securely using Secure Messages. Secure Messages transmit encrypted messages. If the Secure Message is password-protected, recipients must register with Cisco Secure Email Encryption Service (free of charge) to obtain a password to open the encrypted messages.

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information about Secure Messages and the Cisco Secure Email Encryption Service, refer to the online help resources. You can also find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) by clicking the following link:

Frequently Asked Questions

First-Time Recipients

If you receive a password-protected Secure Message and you have not registered with the service, click the Register button. If the Register button is not displayed, leave the password field empty, and click the Open button to begin the registration process. Also, you can click the Sign up button, follow the sign-up procedure, and then open the Secure Messages. This option is available only if you have a Google account. For more information about opening a Secure Message for the first time, see the Cisco Secure Email Encryption Service Recipient Guide.

Alternatives for Opening Password-Protected Secure Messages

After you register with the service, you can open a password-protected Secure Message in one of the following ways:

Standard

Enter your username and password*, and then click Open. The message is decrypted locally on your computer.

Open Online

Enter your username and password*, and then click the Open Online link. The message is sent to the Secure Email Encryption server for decryption, and then opens securely on your local computer. Use the Open Online method if you cannot open the Secure Message with the Standard method.

Open by Forwarding

Forward the Secure Message to mobile@res.cisco.com. The service will send you an email message with a temporary link that you can click to securely retrieve the message using a web browser on your computer or mobile device. Use this method if you cannot open the Secure Message with the Standard or Open Online method.

Open through Google Sign-In

If you have a Google account, you will have the option to open the secure messages using Google authentication. Click the Sign in with Google button, follow the sign-in procedure, and then read the secure message. The previous methods will be also available.

Note —If you use the Open by Forwarding method, messages are temporarily stored on the Secure Email Encryption servers. The messages are stored for up to 8 hours so that recipients can retrieve them. If you use the Standard or Open Online method, messages are not stored on the Secure Email Encryption servers.

*Your company may have configured a single-sign-on (SAML) login for you to use with the Cisco Secure Message Service. In this case, a pop-up message appears so you can log in using your company's credentials. If you forget or lose your password, you need to contact your company's support group to obtain or reset your password.

Reading a Secure Message on Different Devices

To read a secure message on a desktop:

  1. Open the securedoc.html attachment in a web browser.
  2. Select your email address from the To drop-down menu and click Submit.
    3. Note — If you log in to the application for the first time, you need to register before you can read your secure message.
  3. Enter your password in the Password field and then click Open.
    4. Note —If you have a Google account, you will have the option to open the secure message through Google Sign-In. In this case, you will not have to enter a Cisco Secure Email Encryption Service password.
Note — For more information on how to open a secure message, see Alternatives for Opening Password-Protected Secure Messages.

To read a secure message on Android, open the securedoc.html attachment in a web browser or follow this procedure:

  1. Open the secure message in your mail application.
  2. Tap Forward to send this message with attachment to mobile@res.cisco.com.
    3. Note — You will receive an email from mobile@res.cisco.com with a link to the temporary stored message.
  3. Tap the link in the email.
  4. Select your email address from the Your address drop-down menu and then tap Open.
  5. Enter your password in the Password field and then tap Open.
Note — For more information on how to open a secure message, see Alternatives for Opening Password-Protected Secure Messages.

To read a secure message on iOS:

  1. Open the secure message in the Native Mail application.
  2. Tap Include and then Forward to send this message with attachment to mobile@res.cisco.com.
    3. Note — You will receive an email from mobile@res.cisco.com with a link to the temporary stored message.
  3. Tap the link in the email.
  4. Select your email address from the Your address drop-down menu and then tap Open.
  5. Enter your password in the Password field and then tap Open.

To read a secure message in the Cisco Email Security Plug-in application:

  1. Double-click the secure message in your mailbox.
    2. Note — If you log in to the application for the first time, you need to register before you can read your secure message.
  2. Select your email address from the Email Address drop-down menu and enter your password in the Passphrase field.
  3. Click OK to read your secure message.